What Do I Do When People Don't Show Up?

Personally, I hate it when any of our faithful Life! Group leaders put their time and effort into leading a group, preparing for that night’s meeting only to have people not show up. It’s bad enough that all that effort seems wasted, yet what makes it even worse (in my mind) is the undeniable truth that each of those people that failed to show up would be blessed by faithfully attending a group! It is in their own best interests, yet so many of us fail to follow through on the things that are ultimately in our own best interests.

I emphasize that, because I think it is important for us as leaders to keep the proper perspective. Yes, it can be very frustrating to do that work preparing for the night and have people not show up (even after you called them and they said that they would be there). However, God’s perspective is for us to remain faithful to His calling upon our lives no matter what other people do. He is the One who can bless our work, no matter what others do. He is the One who can guide their hearts in the coming weeks. Perhaps some of those that failed to show up needed to be somewhere else and that was part of God’s plan. Perhaps some of them are not quite ready for the group, and God wants us to extend an invitation for that open spot to someone else that we have not been thinking about.

There are many things in the Bible that did not go the way that I would have planned them out! Yet, God’s ways are far above my ways and His thoughts are far above my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

So – what should I do when people don’t show up?

1. Pray for them!

2. Call them to see how they are.

3. Call them before the following meeting to invite them again.

4. There may be a point when you realize that this person needs a lot of encouragement to feel welcome (and they will attend)

I pray that none of us would lose our joy or our commitment to obeying the calling of God that is upon our lives for any reason at all. May God continue to bless each one of you as we all faithfully follow His plan for our lives!

Colossians 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.